Shade or blind fastener



Aug- 131 1940- G. D; BQDGE SHADE on' amm EASTENEE sued sept.. 292 195,7;

Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNIED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHADE R BLIND FASTENER George D. Dodge, Evanston, Ill.

Application September 29, 1937, Serial No. 166,450

4 Claims.

is to provide an improved control bar for a blind or shade which will permit selective locking of the device in any predetermined longitudinal position by convenient manual control means.

It -is furthermore an object of the present invention to provide a control bar for a blind or shade having means positively engaging into the surrounding frame and securing the bar thereto against slidable movement at vall times, which means may be selectively interlocked with the bar to alx the bar -in any preselected position.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a blind or shade having thereon rotatable means interlocked with the frame to cause v rotation when moved relatively thereto in combination with means to selectively lock the rotatable means against rotation when it is desired to position the shade.

Numerous other objects and advantages will vmore fully appear during the course and progress of the following specication- Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a shade constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig, 3 is a detail sectional elevation taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig, 4 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

The window shade, shown in Figs. 1 to 5 for the 45 purpose of illustrating the present invention,

comprises a exible fabric portion I0 supported at its upper end' on the spring roller I2 which is in turn supported for rotation in the window frame I 4. The guide-ways 261are undercut as at 22 to 50 engage a corresponding shoulder on the slide members I8 for maintaining the latter units in the guide-ways 26 against inadvertent displacement. The guide-ways 20 are also lined with a layer 24 of suitable sheet material which, in the preferred embodiment, comprises a layer of bre An additional object of the present invention for deadening sounds and resiliently dissipating clashing incident to the actuation of the device. Preferably also the tube I6 is rigidly fastened to the slide members I8 as by brazing although it may, if desired, merely be positioned rotatably in 5 the opposed apertures.

According to the preferred embodiment the tubular member I6 is completely enclosed in the material forming the fabric portion I0 of the shade. As more completely shown in Fig. 5, the 10 fabric is at this point doubled, the forward sheet 26 passing about the forward face of the tube I6.

A curved plate 28 is secured over the sheet 26 where it passes about the tube I6 at the central portion only for the purpose of positioning the 15 relative parts and forming an attractive finished appearance about the manual control portions of the control bar. It is to be noted that the tube I6 and the forward sheet 26 are cut away at 38 and the curved front plate 28 apertured at 40 to 120 permit passage of the manual control handles` to be hereinafter described.

The plate 28 is held in place by machine screws 36 passing therethrough and engaging into threaded apertures in the rear clamping plate 32 25 which engages about the rearward face of the tube I6. The rearward sheet of material forming the fabric portion of the shade encloses the rear surface of the tube I6 as well as the clamping plate 32 to conceal the entire structure from L80 the rear direction, being secured to the forward sheet 26 by stitching 36. It will be apparent from the above disclosure that the locking bar may be mounted upon the sheet in various other ways or may be combined with a blind of any desired type,

Means is provided to accurately position the control bar and comprises a central shaft 42 rotatably mounted along the axisv of the tube I6 and having pinned thereto at either end the pinn ions 44 which are engaged continually with the vertically extending racks 45 mounted rigidly on `the inner forward face of the vertically extending' guide-ways 26. Since the pinions are identical in structure and continually mesh with the 45 racks 45, it will be apparent that the bottom control bar will always remain horizontally arranged regardless of its vertical position with respect to the window frame.

Manual means to control the locking of the shaft 42 and thus the positioning of the shade, comprises opposed sleeves 46 and 48 positioned within the tube I6 and engaging about the shaft 42 to provide bearing portions therefor when the latter member is in rotation. The sleeve 46 is u rigidly brazed, soldered or welded to the tube I6 and has a forwardly projecting nger portion 5U which extends through the cut-away portion 38 and the aperture 40 into a convenient position for manual contact, The sleeve 48, axially spaced therefrom, is slidably mounted with respect to the axis of the tube I6 and the shaft 42, but is normally pressed to the right and remotely away from the sleeve 46 by means of the compression spring 52. In this position notches 54 will engage the opposite end of the pin 56 passing through the shaft 42 and secured for rotation therewith. The manual control nger 58 extends forwardly through the cut-away portion 38 and through the aperture 4 in the curved front plate 28 and is spaced in aligned relationship from the fixed control nger 50. The projecting portion 60 merely serves to interiorly cover the aperture 4G at all times to conceal the operating mechanism..

In operation of the present device, it will be apparent that the control bar, and accordingly the lower end of the shade, at all times runs upon and is positioned by the racks 45 and the guideways 2G. When the parts are in the position shown by the solid lines in Fig. 4, rotation of the shaft will be prevented by engagement of the notches 54 in the sleeve 48 with the ends of the pin 56. Rotational movement of the sleeve 48 with respect to the tube I6 and the shade is prevented by the forwardly extending finger portion 58 which is positioned in the aperture 4B of the front curved plate 28 and this arrangement of the parts is maintained by means of the compression spring 52.

When it is desired to vertically adjust the shade, the control fingers 50 and 58 may be manually grasped and pressed together against the resilient action of the spring whereupon the control nger 58 will move to the dotted-line position indicated in Fig. 4, freeing the ends of the pin from the notches 54 and thus permitting the shaft 42 to rotate freely with respect to its supports. With the parts in this position, the control bar may be freely actuated either upwardly or downwardly, during which time the pinions @Il will rotate so as to travel upon the racks 45. After adjustment, the control bar may be locked in a preselected position by releasing the control fingers 58 whereupon the sleeve 48, under the influence of the spring 52, will again engage the pin 56 and lock the shaft 42 therewith against rotation.

The invention provides fastening means for a shade or blind which will cause the shade or blind to be maintained in proper horizontal position at any selected height. The blind or shade is prevented from moving out of its guides and is positively prevented from creeping, as the blind or shade cannot be operated except when the thumb piece 58 is pressed to release the locking engagement of the shaft and thereby permits free rotative movement of the pinions on the racks 45.

It is thought that the invention and numerous of its attendant advantages will be understood from. the foregoing description and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the form herein described being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a shade or blind member arranged for vertical movement in a frame or the like, a control bar extending across said shade or blind, a shaft arranged adjacent said control bar, a gear on said shaft, rack means on'the side of the frame engaging said gear, interlocking means between said shaft and said bar for locking the bar and preventing rotation thereof, and release means operated to permit rotation of the gear and allow for freedom of operation of the member.

2. In a shade or blind member arranged for vertical movement in a frame or the like, a control bar extending across said shade or blind, a

shaft arranged adjacent said control bar, a plurality of gears on said shaft, rack means on said frame engaged by said gears for maintaining the bar always in the same angular position, interlocking means between said shaft and said bar for locking the bar to prevent rotation of said gears to hold the member in any preselected vertical position, and release means to disengage the interlocking means to permit rotation of said gears and allow free movement of the member.

3. In a shade or blind member arranged for vertical movement in a frame or the like, a tubular control bar secured transversely to the shade or blind adjacent the bottom portion thereof, a transverse shaft arranged adjacent said control bar, a pinion on said shaft, rack means on said frame engaged by said pinion for maintaining the bar and consequently the member always in the same angular position, interengaglng means between said shaft and said bar for locking the bar to permit rotation of the shaft and pinion to hold the member in any preselected vertical position, and release means operated to release and disengage the interengaging means to permit free rotation of said pinion and allow freedom of movement of the member.

4. A blind or curtain member comprising a guideway, a rack in said guideway, a rvolubly mounted rod for said member, a gear on said rod and having meshing engagement with the rack, means normally preventing rotation of said rod whereby to lock said member and prevent movement of the gear on the rack, and release means manually operated to permit rotation of the rod and permit movement of the gear on the rod and consequently allow for freedom of operation of the member.

GEORGE D. DODGE. 

